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Passive or not passive

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Latest post Wed, Jan 24 2007 10:14 AM by Lcchang. 7 replies.
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Lcchang  +  318923 Tue, 23 Jan 07 04:55 PM

This event may prove to be very significant.

The above sentence may sound OK to everyone. I still have a question for it however.

How can the event prove itself to be something since it is not a "live" thing?

Would it be better to revise it to the following:

This event may be proven to be very significant.

Please advise.

LCChang
Lcchang
Joined on Mon, Feb 27 2006
Northern Taiwan
Contributing Member 1,078
Life will never end.
Marius Hancu  +  318926 Tue, 23 Jan 07 05:04 PM
Only your first version:

This event may prove to be very significant.

is correct.

And no, you don't need a  living and breathing lawyer to do thatSmile [:)]

See the intransitive version here:
----------
prove

v.intr.

To be shown to be such; turn out: a theory that proved impractical in
practice.

http://www.answers.com/prove
-------
Marius Hancu
Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006
Veteran Member 11,673
Lcchang  +  318933 Tue, 23 Jan 07 05:28 PM

 Marius Hancu wrote:
Only your first version:

This event may prove to be very significant.

is correct.

And no, you don't need a  living and breathing lawyer to do thatSmile [:)]

See the intransitive version here:
----------
prove

v.intr.

To be shown to be such; turn out: a theory that proved impractical in
practice.

http://www.answers.com/prove
-------

So...uhmm...If I use show,

This event may be shown to be very significant.

it can be passive, I guess.

I see your point but still feel a little weird.

Thanks for the help.

LCChang
Lcchang
Goodman  +  318935 Tue, 23 Jan 07 05:38 PM
 Lcchang wrote:

This event may prove to be very significant.

The above sentence may sound OK to everyone. I still have a question for it however.

How can the event prove itself to be something since it is not a "live" thing?

Would it be better to revise it to the following:

This event may be proven to be very significant.

Please advise.

LCChang

Hi,

This is my interpretation.

The two sentences in your post do not mean the same thing.

# 1 – This event may prove to be very significant. The context means the event (whatever it may be) may bears positive significance to something else; and it’s correct. i.e. Cell phone may prove to be the one of the modern conveniences people can’t do without in the 21st century.

 

# 2 (your passive revision) means something entirely different. If your say “Cell phone may be proven to be the one of the modern conveniences  people can’t do without ....., I wouldn’t know what to think of it. If you would dissect this context, [may] is the wrong auxiliary because the [may be proven] context, in my opinion contradicts itself.  [Proven] means for sure. [May be] is unsure.

 
Goodman
Joined on Mon, Nov 7 2005
Senior Member 3,816
The name says it all!
Inchoateknowledge  +  318953 Tue, 23 Jan 07 06:33 PM

"The above sentence may sound OK to everyone. I still have a question for it however."

"How can the event prove itself to be something since it is not a "live" thing?" The shoes are selling like hot cakes. Ergative verb

"Would it be better to revise it to the following?" IMO, not.

This event may be proven to be very significant. -- statal passive
Inchoateknowledge
Joined on Wed, May 3 2006
Senior Member 2,549
Beep! Beep! :)
Pioussoul  +  319118 Wed, 24 Jan 07 03:57 AM
 Inchoateknowledge wrote:

"The above sentence may sound OK to everyone. I still have a question for it however."

"How can the event prove itself to be something since it is not a "live" thing?" The shoes are selling like hot cakes. Ergative verb

 

Totally concurred, Incho, the following are additional similar samples:

The Chinese dish tastes delicious.

My hat blew away.

These shoes wear well.
Pioussoul
Joined on Mon, Jan 22 2007
nowhere and everywhere
Full Member 246
I have been captivated by and lost in a fool's paradise for too long to see the truth.
Lcchang  +  319213 Wed, 24 Jan 07 09:55 AM
 Inchoateknowledge wrote:

"The above sentence may sound OK to everyone. I still have a question for it however."

"How can the event prove itself to be something since it is not a "live" thing?" The shoes are selling like hot cakes. Ergative verb

"Would it be better to revise it to the following?" IMO, not.

This event may be proven to be very significant. -- statal passive

Thank you.

F.Y.I. as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergative_verb

LCChang
Lcchang
Lcchang  +  319223 Wed, 24 Jan 07 10:14 AM
 Pioussoul wrote:
 Inchoateknowledge wrote:

"The above sentence may sound OK to everyone. I still have a question for it however."

"How can the event prove itself to be something since it is not a "live" thing?" The shoes are selling like hot cakes. Ergative verb

 

Totally concurred, Incho, the following are additional similar samples:

The Chinese dish tastes delicious.

My hat blew away.

These shoes wear well.

Thank you. I think taste is more like a linking verb. But blow and wear are exactly ergative verbs.

LCChang
Lcchang
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